Johnson
Valley is home to some of the best rockcrawling trails in California.
There are several hammer trails, including Claw Hammer, Jack
Hammer, and Sledge Hammer. In July, Brad Kilby of Onboard
Air hit Sledge Hammer with his brother, Charles in his TJ-7. Along
for the ride was Jim Johnson in his yellow CJ-7 and Mike Duncan and
Dennis Hogue from Four
X Doctor.

Sleghammer is approximately
3/4 of a mile long and consists mostly of large, sharp rocks. It's constant
hardcore rockcrawling without much relief anywhere along the way.

Some folks can drive the trail
in only an hour. However, depending on breakage, experience, and size
of the group, others may take all day.

Brad says "If you
come out unscathed, consider yourself lucky. If you do the trail without
any sidewall punctures, you're doing pretty good. Expect breakage. Be
glad when you don't break anything."

To run Sledge Hammer, you'll
need at least 33" tires and dual lockers. Brad says a few guys
with limited slips in the front have made it through, but it depends
on the driver and the condition of the trail.

If you make it out to Sledge
Hammer, be sure to check out the mailbox at the end of the trail. Drop
in a card, a club sticker, or look inside for someone else's. You might
just find a local shop to fix what you broke on the way out!